BOLD wall art for next to nothing

A few years back I found an awesome vintage frame at the flea market. For a while a had a Paris chic painting framed in it for my daughter's room. We recently changed the theme, so no longer needed the picture in there anymore.

I wanted to do something new for no cost. I had some leftover pieces of Amy Butler fabric. I love the print and the colors are beyond vibrant. The best color I could think of for the frame was orange. I simply stapled the fabric to the back of the frame after painting and distressing it.

You too can do this with any frame and fabric. Check thrift stores to find frames for a couple of dollars. Instead of fabric, you can utilize sheets, pillow cases, shower curtains, table cloths, etc. For example, I used an old shower curtain to cover a chair seat before. That can be seen HERE.

So for next to nothing, you can have unique wall art that makes a statement....

My Cutting Edge stencil GIVEAWAY ends tomorrow. Be sure to enter HERE.

Anthropologie inspired storage

I was drooling over browsing through the Anthropologie website and saw great locker basket wall decor. Loved it, but the $168 price tag was not appealing to me.....

Then I remembered I had this giant metal basket I got from Goodwill for $2. It would work perfectly to mimic this project in a round about way.

I sprayed the basket black and came up with my own version of a numbered hook.

To make the number plaque, I found this image online.

I cut out one of the numbers and decopodged it to a board. In addition I added a vintage hook. I screwed eye hooks to the top of the board, then put wire through it to tie it to the basket. Seeing that I already had the hook and board on hand, the total cost for this project was $3. $2 for the basket and $1 for a can of black Wal-Mart spray paint.

4 seasons~Our yard in the winter

I decided today that I want to document the 4 seasons of our house and yard. Not only do I want this for myself to display our work and accomplishments over the years, but who better to share it with than all of you.

So, here is winter. There is no better time to share it than now seeing that we have gotten 50,000 feet of snow this year here in Connecticut. First I will share a picture of the first snowfall. You can view more of that snowfall HERE

So let the tour begin!

We live in a contemporary country home with a flat roof and hanging decks on the front and back side of the house. Many call it an upside down house. The bedrooms are on the lower basement level.

I don't know how many of you know what has been going on in the New England area, but we have had record snowfalls. Roofs have been caving in left and right.

We live smack dab in the middle of a nature preserve. Although I feel like the house needs never ending work, I am in love with our property. It is quiet and private. Here is one side of our yard. Can you find the hidden pictures? CAT, TREE HOUSE, TIRE SWING... OK, I know I am lame for throwing that in there...LOL!!

Here's a close up of one of our cats in case you missed her in the "hidden picture".

And here is a close up of the tree house that gets literally no use because it is about to cave in. We'll have to add it to the "to do list".

On the same side of the house as the tree house, we have a new shed we got last fall. It is "my shop" in the making. It's been tough to decorate with all the snow. I can't wait to tackle this "project" in the spring.

This side of the house is dedicated to our dog Zoe. She has her run, dog house, and her favorite rock that she hangs out on when it isn't slippery.

Then there is the backyard. Can you tell I have a garden, small man made pond, stone terraces, and a patio set I inherited from my grandparents underneath all this CRAP snow?

Now I'll take you with me to the bus stop. It is a lovely mile away and I only have to go 4 times a day. LOL! Although Reece and RJ are in middle school and high school, they are still on the same bus run seeing that our middle school and high school are in the same building. Sami is in the primary school, so she is the other 2 times a day I go. ...Here we go:

Reece almost died when I got out of the car and started snapping photos of him walking towards the car after getting off the bus. RJ was at swim practice. I'm sure when Reece tells him what I did, he will be beyond relief to have avoided the embarrassment even though there wasn't a soul in sight.

Sami was more than happy to have her pictures taken when I went out to get her 30 minutes later.

And here we are home again:

One of the things I love the most about our property is the view of the meadow we have across the street. Right now it is home to the coyote, but in the spring and summer it is home to many cows. I'll put them in the spotlight when I give you the spring tour.

Be sure to enter my Cutting Edge Stencil GIVEAWAY open until February 20th.

Cutting Edge Stencils~5th Etsy seller giveaway~

Cutting Edge Stencils~$40 gift certificate giveaway.....

Welcome to Serendipity Chic Design's 5th weekly Etsy seller giveaway.

Being an Etsy seller myself, I know the hard work, dedication, and love that goes into handmade items. Therefore I would like to promote my fellow Etsy sellers through weekly giveaways. It will give them the opportunity to show off their hard work, and you the opportunity to win or purchase a unique one of a kind item for your home, garden,or personally for yourself to wear.

They are all over the internet and blogland. And now they are right here on Serendipity Chic Design. Cutting Edge Stencils! I have been drooling over these stencils and projects every time I see them. Such an inexpensive way to transform a room or object into a one of a kind piece or room of art....Personally, I am waiting for the renovation of my bathroom to be done so I can transform this room with these amazing stencils.

The Cutting Edge Stencil crew are located in the NYC area. For over 20 years they have painted, faux finished, plastered and stenciled in hundreds of upscale homes in the New York metropolitan area as well as other states around the country. In addition to their Etsy shop they have an unbelievable website, also called Cutting Edge Stencils which can be viewed HERE.

The giveaway is for a $40 gift certificate to their shop. Here are some of the amazing projects that you will be able to accomplish with yours:

I know, I get carried away with the pictures every time :)

The rules for the giveaway are short and sweet. You have 2 opportunities to win!
1. Become a follower or subscriber of Serendipity Chic Design (If you already are, just let me know)
2.You have to visit Cutting Edge stencils at their ETSY SHOP or their WEBSITE and let me know what your favorite stencil is.
(Be sure to leave two separate comments for two separate chances to win)

The giveaway is open to US residents only. It will run from Tuesday February 15th until Sunday February 20th closing at midnight.

Click HERE to find out more about being an Etsy giveaway host at Serendipity Chic Design

Good luck to everyone!

Unique one of a kind wall shelf.....so easy to make~

Today I'd like to share how I made a shelf from a pair of vintage shutters. It is soooo easy and will be a great addition to your home decor. First you have to find shutters. I got these at a tag sale for $2.50 each. Can you believe it? It was the end of the day and all of their stuff was 1/2 off. Even if I hadn't gotten the half off, they still would have been a great price....So, I got 4 vintage shutters with an amazing distressed finish for a total of $10. Ok, sorry, I may be rubbing it in just a bit...LOL!!

The project I made is a wall shelf. All I needed were two brackets (which I already had on hand) and some screws.....Here is the finished product:

Then onto the fun part....adding the decor....

Now I am excited to announce my GIVEAWAY winner....Shirley from These Moments of Mine is so lucky to have won two softened burlap pillow covers from RU Piper Designs. If you didn't win, you still have to check this AMAZING shop out. They are wonderful people with unbelievable designs and affordable prices.

And lastly, be sure to come back tomorrow morning to check out my 5th Etsy seller giveaway. It's a secret, but I will give a little hint....It is perfect for the DIY decorator.....